Patton Oswalt, fiancee respond to criticism of engagement being 'too soon' after wife's death

Patton Oswalt announced his engagement to actress Meredith Salenger last week and responded to critics who said the comedian has moved on too quick following his wife's death in April 2016. (AP)

Patton Oswalt and his fiancée Meredith Salenger responded to social media users who criticized him for getting engaged “too soon” following the death of his first wife 15 months ago.

Oswalt, 48, announced his engagement to actress Salenger on Thursday. Oswalt’s first wife, Michelle McNamara, died in April 2016 from a combination of prescription medications and an undiagnosed heart condition.

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The actor took to Facebook to defend his decision and said: “I expected some bitter grub worms to weigh in (anonymously, always always always) with their much-needed opinions when I announced my engagement last week. And I decided to ignore them.”

Oswalt also posted a link to a an article written by Erica Roman, a blogger who writes about the grief she experienced after her husband died unexpectedly in 2016. In the blog post, Roman wrote that she was “excited” to see the news of Oswalt and Salenger’s engagement but criticized those who said the comedian was moving on too quickly.

Oswalt wrote that Roman’s post was “SO well-written.”

Salenger also posted Roman’s article on her Twitter page and wrote: “Everyone has been so lovely to us…ALL of Michelle’s siblings and friends and family…a few trolls have strong opinions.”

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“But I think for Patton, having met and found love after over a year of intense therapy and openly grieving and dealing with his pain,” Salenger wrote. “I am grateful to be the one who helps him climb out of the depths of grief and find some joy again.”

Oswalt and McNamara, who was a writer who founded the website True Crime Diary, which covered breaking stories and cold cases, were married in 2005. They had one daughter, Alice, who is now eight.

Oswalt had been public with his grief following McNamara’s death and often incorporated it into his stand-up routine.

The comedian and Salenger went public with their romance in June when they attended the premiere of “Baby Driver” in Los Angeles together.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.